Street-sign



(No Model.)

REL-BAKER.

STREET SIGN.

Patented Dec. 11; 1894.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HALSEY H. BAKER, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

STREET-SIGN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Iletters Patent No. 530,497, dated December 11, 1894.

l Application filed January 22,1894. Serial No- 497682. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, HALSEY H. BAKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Street-Signs, of which; the following is a specification. i

-Myinvention is especially intended for use as an adjunct to the incandescent electric lamps and the reflectors for the same that are made use of for lighting streets.

Difiiculty has heretofore been experienced in sustaining street signs in such a position in relation to the lamp that the sign can be read from either side, and I am aware that signs have been fastened upon the post supporting the electric or otherlight, but heretofore the signs have been placed in such a position to the light that only one side of the sign was illuminated.

In my present invention I placethe signs in such a mannerthat both sides of the sign are visible, theone by the direct rays of light and the other by the light from the reflector,

and I mount the supportsfor the signs in such a a manner that the signs can be adjusted to the proper positions in relation to the intersecting streets, andp without interfering in any way with the reflector or disarranging or disturbingthe electrical fixtures.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation showing an incandescent lamp and its reflector and one of the signs in section and the other in elevation. Fig. 2is a plan View partially broken away, showing the relative positions, of the supports for the signs. Fig. 3 is asection at the line a; wFig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detached view of the base for the ring of the di verging arms, the bracket being in section at the line y y, Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 shows a modification in the shape of the brackets.

The reflector A is usually supported below the conical cap B by a tubular connection 0 through which the electric conductors pass to the incandescent lamp D, and the tubular connection 0 usually is screwed into the elbowor bend E at the end of an arm F that projects out from the post or other support for the lamp.

. The electric conductors are not represented, and a portion of the arm F is removed in Fig. 2 toshowthe parts that would be beneath the same 5 and I remark that the present improveerably composed of sheet metal cut out similar to a stencil and the surface enameled, and these signs are one behind the other and the pair of signs G G is at right angles to the pair of signs Gr G but of course the angle at which one pair of signs stands to another pair of signs should correspond to the angle of in tersection between two streets.

I remark that the signs may be of any desired character and either back to back or painted upon opposite sides of a slat of wood or other suitable material, but in all instances the signs are suspended from the arms or rods [:l H, upon the lower ends of which. sockets 2 are received carrying the cross rods 3 that are above and parallel to the top edges of the signs, and Where the signs are made of plates 4 are recessed or mortised for the reception of the endsof the signs, and the rods 3 pass through the upper portions of the end pieces 4, and the parts are secured together preferably by pins 5 inserted into transverse holes, and it is advantageous to apply upon the cross rods and near the sockets 2 steady plates 6 having holes through which the cross rods 3 pass and notches to receive the upper edges of the plates forming the signs. These signs are advantageously placed slightly below the incandescent lamps, and the outer signs or outer faces of the signs instead of being vertical are at a sulficient-inclination for the light shining from the incandescentlampto be reflected downwardly by the reflector A sufficiently to illuminate the exterior surfaces of the signs, as illustrated by the dotted line in Fig. 1, and hence both sides of the signs can be observed and the name of the street read when approaching the lamp in either direction, andtwhere the sign is made of sheet metal cut out similar to a stencil and enameled, one sign does not interfere with the clearness of the sign at its back, because the shadow of the inner signs cast upon the back of the outer signs makes the intervening space substantially dark, and the cross rod 3 coming over the space between the top edges of sheet metahas represented,the end pieces I have represented signsin pairs and prefof the signs in each pair of signs prevents the backs of the plates being illuminated, and the back of one plate becomes a dark background to the stencil openings in the other sign. The supporting rods H H and the cross rod 3 are preferably tubular so as to obtain the necessary strength and lightness, and the supporting rods H H are united at their upper ends to the clamping ring I from which project arms that are preferably tubular for receiving the ends of the rods H H, the parts being secured by solder or in any other convenient manner. The clamping ring I is received upon the base formed of the two parts 7 and 8 at the lower ends of the divided bracket K, the upper end of which divided bracket is made as two semi-circles to pass around the bend E or the arm F and to be clamped thereto by a bolt or screw 9 so as to be firmly held in position, and the base pieces 8 and 7 set together, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, and have conical surfaces upon which the clamping ring I is received and to which such ring is firmly clamped by a bolt or screw 10 that passes through a central opening in the ring I, and this ring I is capable of being partially rotated upon the base 7 8, so that the arms orsupporting rods H H that are therewith connected can be turned into the proper position to bring the signs parallel with the respective streets, or nearly so, and the screw 10 serves to clamp the ring I to the base and hold it firmly in position, and the ring I having a conical interior that sets upon the conical portions of the divided base 7 8, the parts of the base are held together and firmly clamped by screwing up the screw 10 after the parts have been placed in their proper relative positions; and I remark that the screw 10 may be made as a bolt and nut if desired, in place of the screw screwing into the threaded hole in the base 7 8.

I remark that the sockets 2 upon the lower ends of the suspending rods H H are connected to such rods in any suitable manner, preferably however by a clamp screw so as to allow for the rods 3 and sockets 2 being turned upon the lower ends of the rods H H, so that the rods 3 and the signs held by such rods are parallel with the respective intersecting streets, or nearly so.

When the signs are made of sheet metal, the end pieces 4 with their mortises or slots receiving the ends of the signs are especially adapted to the changes necessary in fitting the different signs containing the names of streets, because the end pieces 4. can be slipped nearer together or farther apart to accommodate different lengths of signs, and the parts are held firmly by simply boring holes and inserting the pins 5.

If the stencil sign is white a plate 8 with a black surface may be placed directly behind the same or between the two signs, and if the stencilsign is black the plate may have a white surface.

In some positions the ordinary reflector for the electric or other lamp does not direct sufficient light upon the surface of the sign that is not reached by the direct rays of light. This is rectified by providing a reflector 0 supported so as not to obstruct the view of the sign, but to direct the light upon the side of the sign to be illuminated. This reflector O is advantageously concave to concentrate the light rays on the sign, and such reflector is represented as supported by an arm P to the suspending rodI-I.

If only one sign is needed there will only be one arm from the ring I, and if desired two rings I may be used each with one arm and rod H.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with the suspended street lamp and a reflector above the lamp of a bracket and divided clamp for connecting the bracket to the arm supporting the lamp, a conical base on the bracket,a ring fitting the conical base and a clamping screw, arms extending outwardly from the ring and downwardly around the edge of the reflector and signs suspended from such arms, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with the suspended street lamp and a reflector above the lamp of a bracket and divided clamp for connecting the bracket to the arm supporting the lamp, a conical base on the bracket, a ring fitting the conical base and a clamping screw, an arm extending "outwardly from the ring and downwardly around the edge of the reflector, a socket at the lower end of the arm, a cross rod and end pieces and a sign held by the end pieces, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with an electric lamp and its reflector, of arms passing around the outer edges of the reflector, signs connected with the lower ends of such arms, a clamping ring with which the upper ends of the arms are connected, and a bracket receiving and supporting the clamping ring, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with the lamp and reflector, of signs, arms for supporting the signs, which arms pass up and around the outer edges of the reflector, a clamping ring to which the upper ends of the arms are connected, a divided bracket, means for clamping the same to the support for the reflector and lamp, and a screw connecting the clamping ring to the base of the bracket, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with the suspended street lamp and the reflector above the lamp,

of a bracket and a clamp for connecting the bracket to the arm from which the lamp is suspended, an arm connected to the bracket and extending down outside the reflector, a sign suspended from such arm and areflector for directing light on the sign at the side away from the lamp, substantially as specified.

6. The combination with the lamp and its near their middle portions, substantially as set forth. IO

Signed by methis 19th day of January, 1894:.

H. H. BAKER.

Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINCKNEY, WILLIAM G. MOTT. 

